What does dib mean?
'Dib' is an informal English word denoting a claim or reserved right to something, usually a first share of it. In practice the word survives almost entirely in its plural form, 'dibs', as in the familiar playground formula 'I call dibs on the front seat.' The construction signals a light-hearted, non-binding assertion of priority: calling dibs establishes a social understanding rather than any formal entitlement, which is why the word thrives in childhood games, household negotiations, and casual conversation. It carries a playful, colloquial register and appears equally in British and American usage. The word's origin is uncertain, though it is generally thought to derive from 'dibstones', an old children's game played with pebbles or small counters, itself connected to the verb 'dib', meaning to dip or bob. Though modest in scope, 'dibs' remains a genuinely useful piece of everyday vocabulary for expressing informal priority over anything contested.
nounA right or claim to something, especially a first share of it — almost always used in the plural form 'dibs', as in 'I call dibs'.
- An informal claim or reserved right to something, especially a first share ('I have dibs on the front seat'); used almost exclusively in the plural form 'dibs', often with 'call', 'have', or 'claim'.
"I called dibs on the window seat before anyone else got there."
"She called dibs on the last slice of pizza before her brother could reach for it."
"According to house rules, whoever gets home from work first has dibs on the good parking spot."
The plural 'dibs' is the standard and virtually only form in actual use; the singular 'dib' is seldom encountered outside dictionaries. 'Dibs' takes plural agreement when standing alone ('the dibs are mine'), though it more commonly functions within fixed phrases like 'call dibs'.
"Dibs on the last cookie!"
You've probably said it your whole life without ever using it in the singular — nobody 'calls a dib'; you always 'call dibs'.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Etymology of dib
The origin of 'dib' is uncertain, but lexicographers generally trace it back to 'dibstones', a children's game popular in Britain involving pebbles or small counters tossed into holes, which was played by the early nineteenth century. The game's name likely derives from the older verb 'dib', meaning to dip or thrust lightly, suggesting a shared root connected to dipping motions. The modern claim-staking sense, always plural as 'dibs', emerged as informal American and British slang, becoming firmly established by the twentieth century.
Related word forms
How dib is actually used
'Dib' is almost never used in the singular; the idiomatic form is the plural 'dibs', typically with the verbs 'call', 'have', or 'claim'. The expression is informal and colloquial in both British and American English, most often heard among children, friends, and family when staking a casual claim.
Easily confused with dib
'Dip' means to lower something briefly into a liquid (or a scoop of food), while 'dib' refers to a claimed right or share and is nearly always heard as 'dibs'.
A 'dibble' is a pointed tool for making holes in soil for seeds, unrelated to claiming a share.